Fictional biography

Carlton Lassiter is a ten-year veteran of the Santa Barbara Police Department, and the youngest Head Detective ever named to the force. According to Lassiter's blog, which is written by actor Timothy Omundson, he was a close friend of the former Santa Barbara police chief, who led him to enroll in the police academy during a "dangerous point" in Lassiter's youth.[1]

Upon his first appearance in the series pilot, Lassiter is said to be five months into a trial separation from his wife, Victoria, although he later, when drunk, confesses that they have in fact been separated for two years.[2] Part of their marriage troubles appears to stem from a disagreement over the matter of children. Lassiter says his wife believes that he does not want children, although this is not the case.[3] Omundson says that, despite Lassiter's long estrangement from his wife, it would likely be very hard for him to admit that the marriage is over because "that means admitting failure, and Lassiter will never admit to failure."[4] During the pilot, Lassiter is involved in a secret romance with his partner, Detective Lucinda Barry; however, soon after Shawn Spencer correctly determines the nature of their relationship, Barry is transferred and the affair appears to have ended. She is replaced by Junior Detective Juliet O'Hara.

Eventually, Lassiter's wife asks him to dinner, something he thinks points to a reconciliation for them, but in truth she simply wants to give him divorce papers. Saddened but resigned, he signs them, telling her he's going to let go of the past and think of the future without her. She tells him she will never stop loving him, even though they are divorced.[5]

It is revealed in Lassiter's blog that he has a sister, a missing brother who may or may not be in South America, a brother-in-law named Raul, a nephew named Peter, and an overbearing mother and grandmother. He also has a dad, but it has not been revealed if he is alive or not. In the episode "High Noon(ish)" it is said that Lassiter's mother never had time to take care of him and dropped him off at Old Sonora, a tourist western town, every weekend. Additionally, it is revealed in the episode '"Weekend Warriors'" that Lassiter is an avid Civil War buff who actively participates in reenactments.

Characterization

He generally distrusts Shawn and does not believe that he is psychic as he claims to be, but has come to have a grudging respect for his investigational skill, something he admits in one episode while drunk.[6] Omundson describes his character's animosity towards Shawn as stemming from the fact that, while Lassiter has worked hard to climb the chain of command and become good at his job, Shawn seems able to "sort of skip his way into his world and start getting successful at it without paying any of the dues," and "on a personal level, any time a Converse wearing, jeans wearing, unshaven little slacker boy comes in and starts messing with his domain it is going to piss him off. It's all Alpha male territory."[7] He says that while Shawn and Gus' increasing presence in police investigations is a great annoyance to Lassiter, "I think, secretly, he doesn't mind them too much because it always gives him a nice challenge."[8] When Junior Detective O'Hara plans a surprise birthday party for Lassiter, she finds an address book in his desk. When the party takes place, however, Lassiter reveals he keeps tabs on everyone he has arrested, and he is forced to move, as now all of those criminals know where he lives.